Ben Sirach references Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16, which clearly command honoring one’s father and mother. In a society that deeply valued family structure, it was natural for him to highlight respect and reverence for those who represent and maintain divine order—namely, parents. The family was the first human community where the main social hierarchy was evident: the father stands at the top, similar to how God is viewed in relation to the world and the king over the nation; the mother comes next, and must be honored and respected; then the children, who are entirely subject to this social order—within the family, to their parents; and in society, to the king and his officials. According to Jesus of Nazareth, this family structure must be left behind if one truly wants to follow him: “whoever does not leave father and mother…” (Lk 14:26). This does not mean abandoning family members, but rather rejecting a family system that has traditionally supported social, economic, and religious systems opposing God’s will and hindering the coming of the kingdom.